Praśna 14, Kaṇḍikā 14

1. While fetching the Soma for drinking, the Adhvaryu should give out a call, “O Āgnīdhra, do thou sit in the lap of the Neṣṭṛ; O Neṣṭṛ, do thou bring over the sacrificer’s wife; O Unnetṛ, do thou fill in the goblets with the Hotṛ’s goblet being the first; leave room in the Hotṛ’s goblet for the (Soma from the) Dhruva vessel; pour down the entire Soma into the goblets; cleanse the two pots (namely, the Droṇakalaśa and the Pūtabhṛt) with the fringes of the woollen filter and keep them upside down; O Neṣṭṛ cause the Udgātṛ to gaze at the sacrificer’s wife; (O sacrificer’s wife,) do you make the water flow.”

2. The officiating priests concerned should act as directed.

3. The Āgnīdhra should consume his cup creeping between the Neṣṭṛ and his (= Neṣṭṛ’s) Dhiṣṇya. He should modify the formula^[1] accompanying the consuming as “...(Of thee) who art drunk by Agni....”

4. The Adhvaryu should flare up (the fires on) the Dhiṣṇyas, and initiate the Yajñāyajñīyastotra.

5. The officiating priests and the sacrificer should cover (with their upper garments) their bodies including the ears^[2] and should expose their navels.

6. The Neṣṭṛ should cause the Udgātṛ to gaze at the sacrificer’s wife since the utterance of him up to the chanting of the third Stotriyā with the formula,^[3] “O Agni, may I receive all seed as precious thing in the sight of thee that art all, that hast all and that hast manly power.”^[4]

7. The sacrificer’s wife should disclose her right thigh and while exposing the thigh-joint cause the pannejanī water to flow down along the thigh until the chanting of the three Stotriyās (is completed) with the (remaining portion of the) Anuvāka, “The sacrifice has come to the gods, the goddesses have left the sacrifice for the gods to the sacrificer who pours blessings accompanied by svāhā; standing in the waters do you follow the Gandharva in the rush of the wind, food that is praised.”^[5]

8. She should cause the water to flow down towards the east, or towards the north. According to some teachers, towards the north-east.

9. As soon as the Stotra has been enclosed, the Adhvaryu should initiate the reciting of the Śastra.^[6]

10. When he knows the Hotṛ reciting the verse, “This Soma is tasteful; it is sweet; it,is sharp; it is sappy. None can withstand Indra, who has consumed it, in the battle,”^[7] he should respond to the reciting of the Śastra with the expression containing the word moda in both parts: madā moda iva, modā moda iva up to the utterance of the vyāhāva by the Hotṛ.

11. When he knows the Hotṛ reciting the verse dedicated to Viśve Devas, “May Ahi Budhnya listen to our prayer; may Aja Ekapāt, earth and ocean listen to our prayer; may Viśve Devas increasing the divine order and being invoked, listen to our prayer; may the prayers praised by the wise guard us,”^[8] or when the enclosing verse has been recited once^[9] the Pratiprasthātṛ, while going to pour down the Dhruva vessel into the Hotṛ’s goblet, should pray with the formula, “Thou art comfort, do thou place me in comfort; thou art the mouth, may I be the mouth.”^[10]

12. He should then hold it with both the hands with the formula, “I take thee from Dyāvāpṛthivī.”^[11]

13. He should carry it forth with the formula, “May Viśve Devas, belonging to all men, move thee forward. Do thou make the gods firm in the heaven, the birds in the midregion, animals on the earth.”^[12]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

XIV.11.18.

[2]:

Or without covering the ears according to Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XIII. 15.5.

[3]:

That is, while the sacrificer’s wife is reciting the formula.

[4]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III 5.6.3.

[5]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.5.6.3.

[6]:

The Agnimārutaśastra to be recited by the Hotṛ. cf. ĀśvŚS V.20.2 ff. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra XIII.15.13 adds that when he hears the Hotṛ reciting the verse, āpo hi ṣṭhā mayobhuvaḥ, the Adhvaryu should begin to respond while dropping water down.

[7]:

Ṛg-veda VI.47.1.

[8]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.2.8.4.

[9]:

Or before the reciting of the Śastra or in the middle of the reciting or at the end of the reciting or when the enclosing verse has been recited for the second time or for the third time. cf. Āpastamba-śrauta-sūtra X1II.16.2,5.

[10]:

Ṛg-veda VI.50.14.

[11]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.2.8.5.

[12]:

Taittirīya-saṃhitā III.2.8.5,6.